Sudden, extreme sweating, wild mood swings, heavy menstrual cycles and discomfort while having marital relations—all common symptoms of menopause. Never have I heard of a woman saying, “Oh, boy! Can’t wait ’til that happens to me!”
I never thought I’d say this, but, today, I read something that not only made me look forward to menopause, but pray it will arrive soon. Don’t get me wrong. I love having babies. I give thanks for the 10 I have, and for those who returned to the Lord before passing through the womb. I really do enjoy being pregnant, laboring and delivering babies. My labors were long—some, super long (as in, more than 30 hours). My last child came in under seven hours, and I later found out that a friend had been diligently storming heaven in prayer for me to have a short labor!
Labors (like mine) akin to marathons, appear to be factors that often lead to the horrific, unbelievable, impossible-to-comprehend-thing I read recently, which prompted my little aforementioned prayer.
If you are a woman laboring in a hospital, and you hear your doctor utter the words, “Pit to distress” run for your life! I refused to believe this was a “real thing” and was shocked and horrified when my research confirmed it as fact.
Some obstetricians get a little irritated when labor is not progressing fast enough. Let me first clarify this potential situation by saying that in such cases, there is no danger to baby and no danger to mommy—just “slow and steady wins the race” type labor. Doctors who want dilation to be occurring at least 1 centimeter per hour may issue a verbal “pit to distress” order to speed things up.
“Pit to distress” is doctor-speak for, “Give this woman the maximum amount of pitocin possible so her baby will enter a state of fetal distress and I can speed this birth up by performing an ’emergency’ Cesarean section.”
Yes. You read that right. No, this is not some type of sick joke. It is an actual-factual thing that occurs in hospitals throughout the United States. When I learned of this “practice” that basically goes against everything a doctor supposedly represents, I felt, for the first time, overjoyed that my baby-having days seem to be nearing their end. Usually, I feel a little sad or nostalgic when I ponder my age, and the fact that we most likely will have no more children. Reading about doctors who would rather inject a woman full of drugs that will knowingly cause an innocent baby distress (and, possible serious birth defects) just so they can free-up their schedules, changed my whole perspective. Bring on menopause!
I have six daughters, several of whom are in their child-bearing years, several more who have much growing to do before they reach that stage in life. My heart aches to think they might encounter one of these doctors who places his/her own time and pleasure above the safety and well-being of mothers and babies.
All I can say is, if you are having a baby in a hospital in the near future, you might want to discuss this issue with your doctor before it’s too late.
As for me, I am now looking forward to my next stage in life!
Writer Bio
Judy Dudich resides in the beautiful woods of Pennsylvania, where 24 acres of land and a home-office provide the perfect setting for her children’s home-education and her own homesteading and business ventures. Life is full of blessings (and challenges!) for Judy, as a wife, mother of 10 and Grammy to six. She is a published author, whose book, “I Surrender/A Study Guide for Women” continues to encourage and support others in Christian family lifestyles throughout the world. Judy has also previously worked in the online speaking circuit. Her passion for permaculture, re-purposing, foraging and organic gardening fills her days with learning and adventure that she loves to share.
